Parent to Parent

Past programs

Parenting in a Sexually Charged Culture Parents today are faced with the daunting task of trying to raise sexually healthy and responsible children. Author and Harvard Medical School Psychologist, Dr. Mark O'Connell spoke to parents about ways they can understand the notion of healthy sexuality, morality, parental authority and their role in shaping their child's emerging relationship skills.The Rotary Club of Winchester helped to defray the costs of this program. 2006

Understanding Your Child's Learning Style Not all children learn the same way, and as parents, when we see our kids struggle, it can be hard to differentiate lack of effort from ability. Our guest speaker, Ann Helmus, PhD, addressed children's learning styles, differences, and when to seek help. She explained how the brain processes and some of the more common issues we see today such as ADHD and Executive Functioning weaknesses. Program costs were covered by contributions from the EnKa Society and The Winchester Co-Operative Bank. 2006

Fostering Social Competence in Young Children Rick Irving, LICSW, was back by popular demand, this time to speak to parents of preschool and early elementary aged children on fostering compasssion and inclusiveness in children's play and interaction. Rick addressed early social and developmental issues: how to teach tolerance of differences; how to model social skills; and strategies on setting expectations and limit-setting for socially appropriate behavior. 2006

Addressing Young Children's Questions about Sexuality According to research, communicating early and often with yourchildren about sexuality as they grow up is the most effective strategy for assuring healthy decision making later on. Yet, parents are often confused about what to say and when and how to say it. Author and sex educator, Deborah Roffman, offered parents of preschool and elementary school children an array of communication tips. 2005

Family Matters: Real Life Parenting of Children and teens in Challenging Times Nationally renowned author and clinical organizational psychologist, Dr. Rob Evans, spoke to parents of children of all ages in a straightforward, common sense way about raising children to be productive members of society in the face of current cultural challenges. The EnKa Society and the Winchester Co-Operative Bank generously defrayed some of the costs of this program. 2005

Risky Behaviors: Understanding Risk Taking Behavior and When to be Concerned The social life of teens can be a challenging time - for both parent and child. In this two-part program, we discussed adolescents' need to take risks and sometimes make bad decisions. Parents learned how to talk with their children about difficult issues - such as school problems, friends, alcohol, drugs and sex - and to know when to seek further help. Beth Fredericks, a popular Families First speaker, facilitated this interactive program for high school parents. 2005

Let's Get Real Parent to Parent and the Multicultural Network jointly sponsored this program for parents and adults who work with nine to twelve year olds to a showing of the film Let's Get Real. This 37 minute film features the voices of middle school students who have been bullies, targets, and bystanders because of their race, religion, body size, gender, sexual orientation, or physical or mental challenges. Rick Irving, LICSW, and Hillary Turkewitz, PhD, lead a discussion following the film about how bullying impacts our children. School administrators and a group of students were on hand to add their perspective on how this issue impacts our community. 2005

Parenting to Empower: Helping Teens Navigate the Social Challenges of Adolescence This program was developed in conjunction with several community organizations. The Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence funded a major grant to the McCall Middle School to introduce the "Empower Program". The Multicultural Network was also a sponsor. In this evening session for parents, Rosalind Wiseman, well-known author of "Queen Bees and Wannabees" discussed the today's social adolescent culture: cliques, teasing, bullying and other common rites of passage. The program offered strategies and guidance on raising children who can navigate adolescence safely with strong friendships. 2004

Discussing Diversity with Young Children Co-sponsored with the Multicultural Network, this program offered guidance to parents on how to discuss the subject of diversity with young children. The discussion included diversity issues such as race, religion, learning differences, sexual preference, and family structures. The program was facilitated by Rachel Wilson, of the Multicultural Network, and Jon Pfeifer, a K-1 grade teacher from the Leslie Ellis School in Arlington. 2004

Bullying and Teasing: How Parents Can Help the Targets, the Bullies, and the Bystanders. Judy Bygate, School Psychologist at Lynch School led the discussion and focused on strategies for helping children deal with bullying and teasing.

Challenges of Adoption
This program featured Joyce McGuire Pavao, an international expert on adoption issues and challenges. She addressed this topic for all interested adults who are parents, family members, teachers, or friends of adopted individuals; the discussion was also appropriate for adults who were adopted themselves or are considering adoption.

Transitions to High School. This program was for parents of current eighth grade students. Following presentations from the high school staff about cirriculum, parents participated in small group discussions with current high school students which will provide an opportunity to discuss issues such as homework, levels of classes, social life and extra curricular activites. Parent to Parent helped with the facilitation of the small group discussions.

Understanding the Fantasy Factory: Counteracting Media Images of Women. This program explored the impact the media has on our children's self image and interactions with one another. The speaker focused on what parents can do to counteract the negative impact of the popular culture's images of women and girls. The program featured segments of Dreamworlds II, an award winning video produced by Sut Jhally, Professor of Communication at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, one of the world's leading experts on advertising and media studies.

Weathering the Challenges of Adolescence: Effective Communication and Limit Setting. Parent to Parent and the Winchester High School Parent Faculty Association co-sponsored a program on communication and limit setting. Rick Irving, LICSW, after receiving rave reviews at other Parent to Parent programs, was invited back to offer a range of parenting strategies. Some of the topics addressed included: how to avoid communication traps and maximize your child’s self reflection; how to avoid “taking the bait” and letting your child off the hook; and how to use consequences effectively. Rick has over twenty years of experience as a school social worker in Andover, and a private practice with children, adolescents, and their families. Parent to Parent consistently receives outstanding feedback on Rick’s programs because of his understanding of adolescent development, his clinical acumen, and his presentation skills.

Raising Responsible Children. Michael Thompson, co-author of the bestseller Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys presented to over 160 parents and discussed parenting strategies to strengthen family relationships and promote competence in children.

Both Sides Now: The "Sandwich Generation" Parenting Children and providing Elder Care. This workshop, co-sponsored with the Council on Aging and attended by both seniors and parents of young children, featured Paul Marosy, President of the Massachusetts Gerontology Association. He discussed various stressors associated with caregiving and offered strategies for coping. Joan Butler, Executive Director of Minuteman Elder Services, presented information on local services.

Evening with the Superintendent. We periodically host forums with town educators. Our former superintendent, Dr.Carol Eaton, and more recently, Jim Marini, have met with parents and other community leaders on several occasions. Topics have included Cirriculum for Community, Safety in our Schools, Multicultural Education and general discussion.

Helping Our Kids Make the Right Choices: Talking about Drinking and Driving. Kate Schluter, Director of Prevention Programs in the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, led this workshop. She discussed many of the current trends and statistics involving drinking and driving. The program featured a video on driving under the influence that is used in high school prevention programs.

Friendship and Social Confidence. This two-session workshop for parents of elementary school-aged children was conducted by Rick Irving, LICSW. It focused on helping children foster friendships and deal with social challenges.

Temperaments and Transitions. This program, for parents of early elementary school and pre-school aged children, featured Dr. Leslie Campis, a local pediatric psychologist. In a very interactive session, she addressed different temperaments and what parents can do to anticipate challenges and facilitate transitions, whether it's a trip to the dentist, attending a summer camp or returning to school in the fall.